Walked from Belgium to Medjugorje

date: 17.05.2011.

Eight pilgrims walked from Belgium and arrived to Medjugorje on Monday, May 16, 2011. Croat, Marko Pincic, was the leader of this long journey together with his wife Yvonne Lespagnard. In his interview to radio station “Mir” Medjugorje, he spoke about this very unusual adventure. He was born in Zadar, in Croatia but his wife is from Belgium and they live there for many years. After talking to his wife and a few other people, they all decided to begin this pilgrimage. One of the eight pilgrims in this group is eighty-four years old, and there is a nurse who took care of them while they were travelling. Marko said: “We’ve been travelling for the last three years, and we tested our capabilities and decided to walk 500 kilometres a year. After we would interrupt our journey and take a break, we would always come back to the place where we last stopped. This year we walked our final part of a journey, what was left, and we think that we walked around 2000 kilometres.” Yvonne emphasised that this journey was also opportunity to strengthen their friendships with the rest of the team: “Eight of us were like a little family, and we never had any conflicts amongst us. All of us tried to come here together. After this experience we would like to encourage the others and help them to come here. Now, we know the way.” Marko and Yvonne said how all of the people would be very surprised after seeing that they were older, but they were all very hospitable to them throughout Austria, Slovenia, Germany, Italy and Croatia. They said that they would never forget kindness and hospitality of all those people. They mentioned how they even got lost once in the woods in Slovenia, but with Our Lady’s help they were able to find their way out. Members of their families welcomed them in Medjugorje and Fr. Miljenko Steko, Head of the Information Centre, greeted them on behalf of Medjugorje Franciscans. They plan to stay here and spend couple of days in prayer, and afterwards they will all fly back to Belgium.